NORTHERN BOWLING ASSOCIATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 9, 11 January 1901, Page 4

NORTHERN BOWLING ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL TOURNAMENT.

GISBORNE WINS THE CHAMPION SHIP.

The heavy rain'that fell yesterday afternoon had the effect of putting the green in excellent order, and made play during the day very pleasant. There was a large attendance of spectators, especially in the afternoon, when the tournament games were set aside and a match Gisborne and the visitors played. Afternoon tea was provided by Mesdames AVitty, H. Adair, Kane, Rosie, Robertson, aud Cox, and was much appreciated by the large crowd of visitors. The following are the details of the day’s play:— TENTH ROUND. Newmarket v. Gisborne. The game up to the sixth head was very even, Newmarket having four to their opponents’ three. In the seventh head Ponsford drew a beautiful shot, and on the next head by careful drawing the local men got five,, making the score on the eighth head Gisborne <J, Newmarket 4. A single to Newmarket, and then Ponsford sprang the jack and gave bis side two, and drawing another shot made the score on the tenth head 12 to 5. The Gisborne team settled down to their work in grand style, and drawing most effectually every head left their opponents, having 26 to 6 on the sixteenth head. Gisborne’s score so far included two fives, two threes, and three twos. Newmarket got one on the seventeenth head, and ol the eighteenth some excellent drawing was seen, the members of both teams drawing to within a foot and a half of the jack. The visiting team were lying three, when Ponsford drew a beautiful shot. Brookes carried him out, but also took his own bowl, and Gisborne scored one. Gisborne increased their lead to the twenty-first head, and won in the most easy manner possible by 32 to S. The Newmarket men from the sixth head were all at sea, their play lacking anything like brilliancy. The Gisborne men played a steady game throughout, and kept the visitors on the full length of the green, which placed them at a serious disadvantage when it came to driving. Whataupoko v. Ponsonbv. The visitors got away with a lead of four on the first head, but AA’hataupoko put two in on the second. Play of a give and take character took place to the ninth head, when the score was 13 to 7. Steadily drawing a.vay Ponsonby won by 21 to 15. Mount Eden v. Kaiti. This was a most even game to the ninth head, when the score was 7 all. The localj team then forged ahead and had a lead o seven on the nineteenth head, winning by 27 to 17. AVitty skipped for Kaiti, and Pettie, ' Dixon, and Bright showed their best form. AVellington v. Hastings. The AVellington quartette settled dewn to their work in capital style, and on the tenth head had a lead of seven, the scores being 12 to 5. Excellent driving on the part of Mentiplay and Bailinger gave the Empire City two on the next head, but Hastings scored three ■ singles and two two’s on the next five heads. ; AVellington won by 20 to 13. Ballinger [ played several splendid running shots for • Wellington, which greatly assisted them in securing the victory. i Bluff Hill v. Victoria. Kennedy skipped for Bluff Hill, and from an early stage in the game got a slight lead ! of his opponents, which he maintained to the ’ close, the game ending in favor of the Bluffs ’ by 22 to 19. It was a fine drawing game throughout. . [Auckland v, Palmerston North. Some excellent play was witnessed in this i game, and the teams kept well together until the eighteenth head, when the board read— Auckland 10, Palmerston 14. Four to Aucki land on the last head practically gave them the game, and again scoring on the twenty- , first head they Masterton v. Napier. Swan skipped the Napier team, and played a splendid game. Napier went away with a good start on the first few heads, and playing ■ consistently throughout, won in good by 19 to 12. ELEVENTH ROUND. In the eleventh round Gisborne defeated ‘ Ponsonby by 30 to 10, the local men playing with great dash, particularly McGowan and Coleman, who were on the jack consistently. AVellington had Napier under the whip early in the game, and won by a good margin of 8 points, the scores being Wellington 21, Napier 13. Hastings scored a victory over Mount Eden by 20 to 17, and AVhataupoko beat Kaiti by 18 to 16, Sidebottom skipping the former and playing with excellent judgment. The match Newmarket v. Bluff Hill was interesting. The latter started with four, Newmarket following with 1,1, and 2, the scores at the seventh head reading 7 —B. From this both sides scored steadily, the fourteenth head showing 14—17, and on the 17th Bluff Hill 19 —18. They then put up another five, concluding the. match with 24 to their opponents 21. Auckland had an easy win over Masterton by 29 to 15, and Palmerston North beat Victoria by 21 to 20. The following table shows the position of the various clubs. There are two more games to play, but the result of this cannot affect Gisborne’s chance of championship honors :

GISBORNE AND THE VISITORS. It was late in the afternoon before a start was made with the match between the local men and the visitors, and the players apparently did not view the various contests in the same serious manner as they did the tournament games, some very sporting shots being made. The Gisborne men scored 210 points to their opponents’ 239. Ponsford won the match against the Hastings men by 20 to 17, and McGowan got a big victory against Masterton by 21 to 12. Coleman just missed drawing Ponsonby by a point. In all the other rinks the local men lost. The scores wore as follows: No. 1 rink.—Laurie, Haselden, Brookes, Kilgour, v. Cousins, Wallace, Simson, Bright, skip, 24 to 20. No. 2 rink.—King, Gilmour, Gorrie, Towsey, v. T. Witty, Jackson, Hookey, Witty, skip, 24 to 14. No. 3 rink.—Cuff, Bell, Mentiplay, Ballinger, v. C. Rosie, Ollivier, Hennessy, Gaudin, skip, 26 to 15. No. 4 rink.—Garland, Hudson, Hooper, Ross, v. T. Adair, Robertson, Buttle, Pettie, skip, 29 to IG. No. 5 rink.—Avery, McGowan, Gooder, Henston, v. Harding, H. Lewis, Ferris, Matthewson, skip, 26 to 17. No. 6 rink.—Stewart, Stitchbury, Coutts, Brown, v. C. Adair, Wyllie, Willocks, Coleman, skip, 22 to 21. No. 7 rink—Dupre, Harrison, Whitaker, Elliott, v. Quigley, Morrison, Humphreys, McGowan, skip. Gisborne won iiv thisrink by 21 to 12. No. 8 rink—Cottle, Russell, Lissafnan, Nash, v. A. Rees, Ambridge, Sidebottom, Dixon, skip : 24 to 14. No. 9 rink—Swan, Bristy, J. Smith, Evans, v. Jones, Johnston, Muir, Batham, skip : 23 to 16. No. 10 rink—Newton, Carson, Kennedy, Crowley, v. O’Meara, Price, Birss, Skeet, skip: 23 to 16. No. 11 rink—Maddern, Holt, Beatson, Beatson, v. J. Rosie, Kane, Davies, Ponsford, skip. Gisborne won by 20 to 17.

Club. Gisborne Wins 10 Lossos. 1 Newmarket .. 7 4 Ponsonby 7 4 Hastings 7 4 Whataupoko .. 7 4 Wellington 7 4 Palmerston North 6 5 Auckland .. 6 5 Napier .. 5 6 Bluff Hill 4 7 Victoria 3 8 Masterton 3 8 Mount Eden .. 3 8 Kaiti .. 2 9